


everything stays

by BlackCats



Category: Persona 3, Persona Series
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Fluff and Humor, Post-P3, Pre-P4A, drabble-ish
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-13
Updated: 2016-07-13
Packaged: 2018-07-23 18:15:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 955
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7474695
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlackCats/pseuds/BlackCats
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He always manages to be equal parts infuriating and helpful.<br/>(Yukari, Minato, and casual talks of the future--here, there is one.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	everything stays

“So, I’ve thought about getting an apartment off-campus,” Yukari says into the silence between them, and Minato yawns so widely that she can see every one of his teeth before he lifts a hand.

“Off-campus?” The words slur in that exhausted way of his—he’s sounded tired every day, ever since the Dark Hour blurred out of existence around them for the last time.

(She feels sorry for him, though she likes to quip that _now_ he can justify his usual lazy drawl of a voice.)

“Yeah. There’s a good one only a few blocks from the station, and there’d be a lot more space and freedom than what the university offers.” She slides the brochure across the table, watches him pick it up with a slow slurp of his soda. “What do you think?”

His verdict is a careless, “It’s good,” but she sees the shrewd light in his eyes when he passes it back. Sure enough, he soon adds, “I know the owner of the place. He’s got a lot of pride in his work, so you’ll get a good deal, at least…”

“Geez, it feels like you know _everyone_ around here.”

Minato’s got a sliver of a smile, but he doesn’t answer her, only steals one of her fries in payment for his sage opinion.

It’s pretty stupid, how hard her heart’s thundering right now. It’s a perfectly normal day on Port Island, and they’re in the usual seedy fast food place below the ramen shop, but—

Oh, it shouldn’t be _this_ difficult! He’s been her boyfriend since their second year of high school, and now they’re university freshmen. You’d _think_ she’d be able to just ask him the obvious question that he is surely expecting!

He’s not even looking at her, just to rub more salt in her wounds.

Yukari bunches her shoulders, makes peaks of them as though they could hide her reddening ears. “S-So I was wondering, if you’d like to...move in together with me. We’ll split the bills, fifty-fifty, and we should have no problem covering them!” She tosses a hand, lowers her voice, “What with the whole _‘Shadow Operatives’_ business Mitsuru is training us for.”

At this point, school is a formality. Mitsuru insisted that everyone continue to pursue some semblance of a normal life— _even_ those intending to become full members and not auxiliary operatives—but with Minato making the decision to dedicate himself to a life of dealing with the supernatural, Yukari felt pretty compelled to follow him. At least, for a while. She’s hoping they both won’t be doing this for the rest of their lives.

They’d find out, wouldn’t they? At least they’d be working with Aigis.

(She thinks he’s doing this partially _for_ Aigis.)

“…You want to move in together?” Minato muses aloud, and she sees the Personas spinning like stars in his eyes. “Really…”

“W-What’s _that_ tone supposed to mean?”

“Nothing. I’m just surprised.” Another long slurp of soda. Yukari twitches. “I’ve got no objections.”

“What’s so surprising about it?” she asks, and hates the fact that she sounds more petulant that she intended. “I mean, we’ve been dating for almost two years now, and we get along great, right?”

“Right,” he agrees easily. “So. We sharing a bed?”

His words are an out for her, she realizes. He’s setting this up in such a way that she suspects he knows _exactly_ what she’s trying to get at. Yukari sighs, folding her arms—there’s no hiding anything from Minato, she’s learned this by now. At least he said it _for_ her.

“Is that supposed to be a joke?”

Minato shrugs.

“…Well…It _is_ a two-bedroom space, but we could do something else with the other room if we decide to…share a bed.” God, her face is already heating up. She almost wants to douse herself with her own drink and see if that won’t cool her off; pity that it would only ruin her new sweater he bought her.

He’s silent.

“W-We don’t have to, you know,” Yukari’s swift to amend. Maybe she’d read him wrong after all.

“Sounds perfect.”

It’s the way he says it. He crooks that little half-smile at her and his eyes light up with a happy sincerity that never shows on his face. It doesn’t help that he’s _ridiculously_ good looking in his pretty-boy way, and Yukari would kiss him, if they weren’t sitting in a booth with a screaming kid behind them.

She sighs in relief.

“Well, that’s that! I’ll give them a call later on and set some things up.” She’s so pleased that she doesn’t even care that Minato’s eaten half her fries. Pinching two between her fingers, she’s about to dig in when Minato abruptly speaks up.

“Hey, Yukari.”

“What is it? Is something wrong?”

He sounds so grave. She frowns, brows furrowing.

Minato smirks. “You know I love you, right?”

“Wha-a-a-a—?!”

She’s _dying_.

Pressing both of her hands briefly to her face, Yukari hisses out, “I-I love you _too!_ Of _course_ I know that! But why are you saying that right _here_ , right _now_?!”

(She’s pretty sure the mother of the family in front of them just giggled.

Someday, she’ll get used to hearing him say so.)

“No reason,” he replies, and she notes his voice sounds strange.

Yukari looks up to see that he’s taken all her fries, _including_ the two she’d been holding earlier. He only arches an eyebrow at her scandalized look.

“I skipped lunch,” he says, by way of explanation.

She decides to let it go, if only because there’s a hint of red upon his cheeks.

“I’ll buy you some more, if you’d like,” she offers instead; a smile's hidden in his answering yawn.

**Author's Note:**

> this is a drabble that went on too long. it was meant to be just me voice-testing these two, and lo and behold, this random creation spawned. i hope it's at least a nice little read for you!


End file.
